Paul Polman
Encyclopedia
Paul Polman is the CEO of the multinational Anglo-Dutch food and detergent company, Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....

.

Early life

From the University of Groningen
University of Groningen
The University of Groningen , located in the city of Groningen, was founded in 1614. It is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands as well as one of its largest. Since its inception more than 100,000 students have graduated...

 he gained a BBA
Bachelor of Business Administration
The Bachelor of Business Administration is a bachelor's degree in Commerce and business administration. In most universities, the degree is conferred upon a student after four years of full-time study in one or more areas of business concentrations; see below...

/BA in 1977. From the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....

 he gained an MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...

 in Economics and an MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...

 in Finance and International Marketing (both) in 1979. He grew up in a town called Enschede and has 3 brothers and 2 sisters.

Career

He has worked for Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....

  for 27 years (from 1979), initially as a Cost Analyst
Cost analyst
In business, a cost analyst is a person who analyzes a company's costs, or the use of available resources, and reports such analysis to management for decision-making and control.-Tasks:...

, becoming Managing Director of P&G UK from 1995-8, President Global Fabric Care from 1998–2001, and Group President Europe in 2001.

Nestlé

He then joined Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...

 in 2006 as Chief Financial Officer
Chief financial officer
The chief financial officer or Chief financial and operating officer is a corporate officer primarily responsible for managing the financial risks of the corporation. This officer is also responsible for financial planning and record-keeping, as well as financial reporting to higher management...

 and head of the Americas At Nestlé, he was replaced by Luis Cantarell.

Unilever

On 1 January 2009, he succeeded Patrick Cescau as Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...

 of Unilever. This had been announced in September 2008. At this point in the company's (strictly) Anglo-Dutch history, its main headquarters are based in London and Rotterdam.

Recognition

Polman has received honorary doctorates from Northumbria University
Northumbria University
Northumbria University is an academic institution located in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England. It is a member of the University Alliance.- History :...

 (LLD, 2000) and the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....

 (2009). In 2011, he gave the Durland Lecture at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...

.

Polman was elected to the Dow Board of Directors in February 2010, and serves on the Compensation and Leadership Development Committee and the Environment, Health, Safety and Technology Committee.

Personal life

He is married with three children and enjoys mountaineering, volleyball and classic car racing. He is President of Kilimanjaro Blindtrust and Chairman of Perkins International Advisory Board.

External links


News items

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